License plate holder



July 12` 1937.

N. E. wooDs 2,087,177

LICENSE PLATE HOLDER Fil'ed sept. 14, 193s ATTORNEYS Patented July 13,1937 Partnr orties LICENSE PLATE HOLDER Norman E. Woods, St. Louis, Mo.

ApplicationfSeptember 14, 1936, Serial No. 100,714

`5 Claims.

This invention relates to holdersV for-license plates for motor vehiclesand the like, and its general object is to provide a plate holder thatacts in the capacity of a frame for the plate, as 5 well as a backingtherefor, so as to not only add to the appearance of the vehiclescarrying the same, but reinforces and protects `the plate againstmaterial damage thereto.

A further object is to provide a license plate holder that secures theplate against vibration, and can be applied and removed with respectthereto in an easy and expeditious manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a license plate holderthat is adjustable to fit plates of various sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide license plate holder,that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and extremelyefficient in use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing andspecifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing my holder applied to a license plate with thelatter Xed to a bracket of the usual construction.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on `line 2-2 of Figurel, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a front view of the holder per se. Figure 4 is a sectionalview taken approximately on line 4 4 of Figure 1 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a similar View taken through an adjustable form of myholder.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and parflange 2 extendinglongitudinally of the upper edge of the back, and down the sides thereofto form a channel to receive the plate which for distinction isindicated by the letter A.

The plate is provided with the usual openings to receive bolt and nutconnections B for securing the same to the upper arm C of a .T-bracketThe holder is preferably formed from sheet metal and includes a certainamount of inherent resiliency, and in order to prevent the plate fromvibrating, I provide a clamping member that includes a screw 3 mountedin a flanged opening 4 centrally of and adjacent to the lower edge ofthe back E, as best shown in Figure 3, with the head of the screwcountersunk in the flange of the opening, as clearly shown in Figure 4.The screw has a collar 5 formed or otherwise secured thereon and engagedwith the inner edge of the flange of the opening, so that the screw isheld on the plate but is mounted for rotation therein, as will beapparent, and threaded on the shank of the screw is a tap 6 having asquare cornered outer surface for the application of a tool thereto,such as a wrench or pliers for rotating the same, so that the tap can bedisposed in engagement with the back or rear face of the plate A or armC of the bracket D, to set up a binding action against the same due tothe resiliency of the back and the curvature thereof. The clamping orbinding action of the clamping member also causes the flange 2 to bindagainst the upper and side edges of the plate, as will be apparent uponinspection of Figure 4, consequently it will be readily seen that theplate is held rigid, and thereby vibration thereof is eliminated orreduced to a minimum.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated an adjustable form of holder, whichincludes a pair of sections cooperating to provide a back, and upper andside flanges, and one portion of the back is indicated by the referencenumeral l, whilev the other portion by the reference numeral 8. Theportion l is provided with a slot 9 longitudinally arranged therein andpreferably midway between the top and bottom thereof, for the purpose ofreceiving the bolt of a bolt and nut connection l0 which is mounted inor carried by the portion 8. By that construction, it will be seen thatthe sections are adjustable with respect to each other, to accommodatelicense plates of various sizes or lengths. It will be Obvious that theportions of the flanges that extend along the top of the respectivesections are telescopically mounted with respect to each other, to allowfor the adjustment of the sections, and still retain a channel for theupper edge of the plate.

The form as shown in Figure 5 likewise includes a clamping membersimilar to that shown in the other form, for disposal against the plate,to prevent vibration thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 5.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A license plate holder comprising a back for the plate, channel meansformed on the upper and side edgesrof the back to receive thecorresponding edges of the plate therein, screw `means rotatably mountedin the back, and

means threaded on the screw means and engageable with the plate forcooperation With the screw means to set up a clamping engagement betweenthe channel means and the plate for securing the plate in the holder.

2. A license plate holder comprising a back for the plate, channel meansformed on the upper and side edges of the back to receive thecorresponding edges of the plate therein,V a screw rotatably mounted inthe back adjacent to the lower edge thereof, means threaded on the screwto provide a binding Contact with the sup-porting bracket of the plateto set up a clamping engagement between the channel means and the platefor securing the plate in the holder.

3. A license plate holder comprising an arcuate back for the plate, achannel flange on the upper and side edges of the back to receive theplate therein, and means carried by the back centrally thereof andadjacent to its lower edge to set up a clamping engagement between theange and the plate for securing the plate in the holder.

4. A license plate holder comprising a pair of adjustably mountedsections including a back for the plate, channel means on each sectionto receive the upper and one side edge of the plate, means for securingthe sections together for tting association with the plate, and meanscarried by one of said sections to set up a clamping engagement betweenthe channel means and the plate for securing the plate in the holder.

5. A license plate holder comprising a pair of sections, each includinga back portion for the plate, channel anges formed on the upper andouter side edges of the back portions to receive the corresponding edgesof the plate therein, said sections having their inner portions slidablymounted on each other and the channel flanges of the upper edgetelescopically associated, means for adjustably securing the sectionstogether, and means carried by one back portion to set up a clampingengagement between the channel iianges and the plate for securing theplate in the holder.

NORMAN E. WOODS.

